Matthew Tkachuk has told the Calgary Flames he will not sign with the club again, several sources tell The Athletic, making a change to the 24-year-old All-Star striker likely to happen soon.
Tkachuk has not officially called for a change, but the fact that the restricted free agent is unwilling to make a long-term commitment to Calgary would be the driving force behind the decision to move him now.
In addition to letting the Flames know that he will not be signing again with the organization that selected him at No. 6 in the 2016 NHL Draft, Tkachuk has provided them with a list of teams with whom he would accept a long term. term contract, according to various sources. Tkachuk has some power over where he could land, since the teams probably won’t want to pay such a high commercial price for him as rent.
A source familiar with Tkachuk’s list said that St. Louis, Vegas, Florida, Nashville and Dallas are options. The New Jersey and New York Rangers are also among the other teams that have expressed interest in the past.
This week, Calgary requested an arbitration chosen by the club. A hearing is expected to be held between July 27 and August 11. The date of the Tkachuk case has not yet been announced. If the team and Tkachuk were to arbitrate, a one-year contract would be awarded.
This procedural step gave the Flames time to reach an agreement, either a sign and a trade, that would allow a maximum extension of eight years and perhaps increase the size of the return, or just a traditional trade that includes their rights. of signature. A long-term contract would likely mean at least an average annual value of $ 9 million for Tkachuk, who had 42 goals and 104 points in 82 games last season. The far left was voted Second Team All-Star.
At this point, it seems very unlikely that the Flames could convince Tkachuk to re-sign, even if they offered him a big contract and captaincy. A source said Tkachuk is expected to be finally dealt with before the arbitration hearing.
(Photo: Jeff Curry / USA Today)